2012-13 Rutgers University Senate Leadership and Board Representative Candidates’ Campaign Statements
In alphabetical order by candidate's last name
Robert Barraco (Alumnus Member of the Executive Committee): It has been a privilege and an honor to serve in
the capacity as Alumnus Senator for the Executive Committee for the last year. This past year has been a
challenging one with mergers, a presidential search, and possible threats to the wholeness of our academic family. I
have learned a great deal and hope that I have contributed in kind. I believe that continuity and stability are
important in our present circumstances. More importantly, a representative with experience and a passion for
Rutgers and its values is needed. I believe I have and will continue to work on the Executive Committee with just
those qualities if elected to continue as Alumnus Senator to the Executive Committee. Thank you for all you do for
Rutgers and it has been and will continue to be a pleasure to work with you in the coming years.
Robert Boikess (New Brunswick Faculty Member of the Executive Committee): During my 42 years at Rutgers, it
has been very exciting for me to have been part of its transformation from a sleepy little place to a major AAU
public research university. Student and faculty governance has played a vital role in our transformation and will
continue to play a vital role in our future development. My commitment to participate actively in building a
university that truly is a university of its faculty and students is as strong as it ever has been. My commitment to
fighting for student and faculty rights is stronger than ever, because these times require it. As a member of the
Senate for more than 30 years, as a member of the New Brunswick Faculty Council from its creation, as a member
of countless committees whose charges ranged from parking to athletics, even to academics, and as an active leader
in collective bargaining, I have learned a great deal. I have learned how things work; I have learned how to get
things done; I have learned what matters. Now is a critical time for Rutgers. I ask you for the opportunity to use my
experience and what I’ve learned to work with the new leadership to set the agenda that will help us all become the
very best we can be.
Natalie Borisovets (Newark Faculty Member of the Executive Committee): Having been an active member of the
University Senate since 1988 (Chair 1993-1996; Chair Educational Policy 1997-2000; Chair, Instruction, Curricula
& Advising 2000- ), I believe that I have a good sense of where the Senate has been and where we would like to be.
While the Newark campus is “home,” I’m actually a member of a faculty that crosses all three campuses. As such I
believe that I also bring a unique university-wide perspective to the Senate. The Executive Committee, as the group
that guides and sets the agenda, is a vital component of this unique shared governance body. I am privileged to have
been given the opportunity to participate and contribute to that group; I hope that you grant me the opportunity to
continue.
Daniel Bubb (Camden Faculty Member of the Executive Committee): [No statement.]
Joseph Cashin (Student Representative to the Board of Governors): I believe I should be elected as the Board of
Governors Student Representative because of my experience. For the past year I have respectfully articulated
student concerns to President McCormick, after his Administrative Report, through the vehicle of the Question and
Answer portion of the Senate meetings. I feel that I am the best Student Senator to take this to the next level and
bring student concerns to the Board of Governors.
In addition, I understand that the major concern for the entire Rutgers community is the the proposed takeover of the
Camden Campus by Rowan University. Although I am a New Brunswick student I know what this healthy campus
means to Rutgers and the state of New Jersey. I myself am a resident of South Jersey and my girlfriend is in the
honors college there. I have been to the Camden Campus for some of the rallies and seen the unity between
students, faculty, staff, and alumni. It is important that the Board of Governors understand that students from all
three campuses want a Rutgers Campus to remain in all three regions of this great state. With my experience and
continued work with my campus's student government association I will be able to relay ongoing student concerns
like rising tuition.
I am also one of the original student members of Rutgers One. It is my firm belief that students, faculty, and staff
run the university and together we can accomplish things like fair tuition for students as well as fair salaries and
benefits for all staff and faculty. I believe the Board of Governors Representative is the most important position a
student can hold at the university and I would be honored to have your vote and serve as the Student Board of
Governors Representative.
Please, if you have any questions for me, would like to know my view on a specific issue, or would like to know
more about what I have done on the New Brunswick/Piscataway campus and my community do not hesitate to email
me at: [email protected]
Martha Cotter (Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees): I am running for re-election as a faculty
representative to the Board of Trustees and ask your support. I bring to this position many years of experience as a
faculty member, graduate director, acting dean, chair of the New Brunswick Faculty Council, chair of the University
Senate, co-chair of ASRAC and faculty representative to the Board of Governors. I believe I have been a very
effective representative to the BOT this past year, particularly through my membership on the joint BOT-BOG Task
Force on the proposed merger of the RWJ Medical School with Rutgers – New Brunswick. On the Task Force, I
have argued strongly for the merger with the medical school and against the extremely ill-thought-out proposal to
give Rutgers-Camden to Rowan.
Peter Gillett (New Brunswick Faculty Member of the Executive Committee): I was excited to be elected for the last
three years to serve as the New Brunswick Faculty Representative on the Executive Committee, and am thrilled to
have been nominated to stand for re-election in this important Senate year when we welcome a new University
President; I welcome the opportunity to serve. After 18 years based in the UK, working at all levels including
partner in two major international accounting practices, I returned to academia, obtained my PhD, and have been on
the faculty of the Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick since 1996. I have been an active member
of the Senate for four terms; I have served throughout on the University Structure and Governance Committee
(USGC), during periods busy, for example, dealing with the Vagelos report and its ramifications, and with our
response to "Transforming Undergraduate Education: Report of the Task Force on Undergraduate Education at
Rutgers-New Brunswick/Piscataway." I have I served as Co-Chair or Chair of the USGC for the last three years. In
addition, I am currently serving as Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Shared Governance
Additionally, I have served on the New Brunswick Faculty Council and its Curriculum Committee, and am the
Faculty Advisor to the Rutgers University Glee Club and the Rutgers University Kirkpatrick Choir. Within my own
unit, I am serving a fourth term as Faculty Secretary and Chair of the Committee on Rules of Procedure; like most
faculty members, I have served on a large number of other committees, including Technology Policy, Recruitment,
Curriculum, and Planning, and was for five years coordinator of our PhD program. All three of my children have
attended Rutgers, giving me considerable experience as a Rutgers parent, and different insights into student life and
the infamous RU Screw. I am confident that all the candidates for Executive Committee bring to the table multiple
skills and talents; foremost among my own potential contributions, I believe, are the ability both to see the big
picture and to attend painstakingly to small but significant details; steadfast refusal to put popularity or public
opinion ahead of the need to speak truth and do right as I see them; rich experience of committee work both within
Rutgers and in the business community; extensive and wide-ranging commitment to Rutgers (on two campuses) and
to the Senate; determination to do what I can to help make Rutgers the best university it can be; detailed working
knowledge of technology and accounting; and a British sense of humor (and who knows but that I shall need it . . .).
I believe that the Senate should not be a forum where faculty, students, administrators and other constituencies
assemble to defend their turf, but rather a place where all of us participate in advising the President and the Board of
Governors of our considered view as to what is best for the university - a vital task for the next few years. If elected,
I undertake to work assiduously on your behalf towards this goal. I shall greatly appreciate your vote and look
forward to serving you again.
Ann Gould (Vice Chair): I am a fourth-term Senator representing the School of Environmental and Biological
Sciences. For the past nine years I have been honored to serve as co-chair of the Faculty and Personnel Affairs
Committee. During this time, my esteemed co-chair Paul Panayotatos and I have worked with this committee to
address issues associated with academic freedom, e-mail privacy, faculty voting rights, the evaluation of
administrators, the annual faculty survey, phased retirement, annual faculty terms and governance, psychological
emergencies, and tuition remission. The past six academic years I have had the opportunity to serve on the Senate
Executive committee. I have found my time with the Senate to be interesting and challenging, and I hope that my
efforts have contributed to the welfare of the faculty, students, and staff of this University. I look forward to
continued participation on the Senate as Vice-Chair, and I appreciate your consideration and vote.
Kenneth McKeever (New Brunswick Faculty Member of the Executive Committee): Rutgers is a Land Grant
University and together the faculty and staff at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, the
Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension serve our stakeholders throughout New
Jersey. With our fellow faculty, staff, and students at three vibrant campuses, Research Stations throughout the
state, and Cooperative Extension offices in every county, we are truly the State University of New Jersey. As a
member of the Rutgers community, I have a strong belief that we all have a responsibility to participate in university
governance at the departmental, college, and university levels. We have no excuse for apathy and our future
depends on positive input and active involvement in the providing solutions to the challenges confronting the
university. To that end, for several years I have served on the New Brunswick Faculty Council and the Senate as a
representative from the Equine Science Center and the Department of Animal Sciences providing input for my
fellow faculty, staff, students, and alumni from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. For the last
year I have been fortunate to serve on the Senate Executive Committee. It has been a learning experience to say the
least. One may ask why should a person who works with horses be re-elected to the Senate Executive Committee?
First, I am a cardiovascular and exercise physiologist who conducts basic and applied Federally funded biomedical
research. I will continue to bring that perspective to the Executive Committee of the Senate as we move forward
with discussions of medical education and the future of the university. Secondly, I am also not afraid to speak my
mind regarding key issues and I would be honored to serve all constituencies for another year. Therefore, I humbly
ask for your vote to serve as a faculty representative on the Executive Committee.
Jonathan Muse (Staff Member of the Executive Committee): My name is Jonathan Muse and I currently serve as
an Assistant Dean and the Academic Services Director at Rutgers, School of Business-Camden. I was recently
elected to my third term as a Staff Senator and serve as the Staff representative to the Senate Executive Council.
Rutgers is facing new and demanding challenges. It's vital that the University use all of its resources to effectively
plan and implement a strategic course of action that will ensure and enhance its commitment to excellence, as well
as its long standing traditions and values. The Senate provides a unique opportunity and forum for shared
governance. It represents the University's commitment of giving voice to all members of our community to be
engaged in collegial discourse on the important matters facing all of us. I seek a position on the Executive
Committee to be more meaningfully involved in helping to shape the direction and work of the Senate.
Laura Norkute (Student Representative to the Board of Governors): I began my experience in student government
when I applied to plan Rutgers Day for the School of Engineering. From there, I moved to become part of the
Engineering Governing Council, as their elected RUSA Representative. Being part of RUSA gave me knowledge in
student advocacy, while being part of EGC, I learned how resolve student issues and how to communicate with our
faculty and administration. These positions helped me bring the best of a large and small student government
experience. I know how to approach a topic in a quiet and discreet manner, and how to actively seek an issue to be
addressed. My skills as a leader are well-built. I have been on Rutgers University Solar Car Team and Rutgers
University Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Outreach executive boards. I recently was elected President of
the latter. One of the reasons I joined these organizations is that I’m especially interested in making Rutgers
University more prestigious and honorable institution. I have been working with the administrators, faculty, and
students in the School of Engineering on how to exemplify and promote outstanding student conduct and academic
integrity within our school. As a Senator, I want to work on subject matter that the Senate regards as fundamental to
highlight the voices of the students, faculty and staff of Rutgers University. Serving as a liaison between the Senate
as a student representative at the Board of Governors I would be able to express the topics of concern and come back
with information for us to use when making the advisory decisions. As an engineer, I love to learn how everything
works, thus I will keep informed on all current concerns and issues.
Paul Panayotatos (Chairperson): I was first elected to the University Senate in 1995. Most of my committee
involvement has been with the Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee, which I have co-chaired almost
continuously since 2002. I have served on the Executive Committee either as an elected member or ex oficio as
chair of the University Senate. I was serving as chair of the Senate when the Governor tried to impose on Rutgers a
plan of reorganization fraught with flaws. The University Senate made headlines by being the first voice to point out
these shortcomings. I believe my proudest moment at Rutgers came when I relayed the thanks of the Board of
Governors to the members of the Senate. We did win that fight. We now face a similar situation with the Barer
Committee recommendations on Rutgers Camden. I believe that the previous experience is relevant once again.
After a hiatus, because of a family health crisis, I was elected as chair of the senate again in 2011; I am now running
for re-election for the third and final year. The University is undergoing rapid changes in its higher administrative
positions. I believe continuity in the senate is important at this stage. I was fortunate to have been a member of the
Presidential Search Committee and I had the chance to make the case about shared governance with all of the
candidates that we interviewed. Since the name of Dr. Barchi was announced before my current term as chair
expires, I have also offered to meet with him as soon as possible and he has concurred. I hope to establish a climate
of collaboration from the beginning. I have not shied away from confrontation with the university administration
when necessary, but I strongly believe that shared governance works best in a climate of collaboration.
The upper administrator that will be called upon to provide continuity will necessarily be EVPAA Edwards who has
developed with the senate leadership an excellent collegial rapport. I am proud of what we have accomplished in the
last two years, because of your creative work in the senate committees. As a result, there are many senate
recommendations, some of significant importance, that had not been acted upon by the administration when EVPAA
Edwards took over and he has graciously agreed to tackle every one of them. This is a task that will probably not be
finalized before the next semester and I would like to have the chance to continue pursuing it with him as chair of
the senate.
For these reasons I hope you continue, for this last year, to entrust me with the chair of the Senate, an office that I
hold with pride and commitment.
Robert Puhak (Newark Faculty Member of the Executive Committee): I am a member of the faculty in the
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Rutgers-Newark, have served on the University Senate as a
member of the University Structure and Governance Committee (USGC), and this past year as a member of the
Senate’s Executive Committee. When elected to the University Senate, as well as its Executive Committee, I made
a firm commitment of time, focus, and open-minded and balanced consideration of issues. I’ve lived up to that
promise.
Compared to a number of my colleagues, I am a relatively more junior member of the Senate, as well as the
University. I believe that is an important consideration here, coupled with my background outside of the Senate and
University. Regarding a relatively more junior status, I believe it is vital to have a balance of new and experienced
membership on the Executive Committee in order to i) ensure continuity for the Committee across time and ii)
benefit from the diversity of viewpoints it can bring. Regarding related experience previous to the Senate, I have
had the opportunity to serve successfully on a variety of boards and executive committees throughout my years in
industry (engineering and business at various levels, including a position as a vice president), multiple civic groups
(including executive board positions), local municipal government (both elected and appointed positions),
educational communities (serving on a local school advisory board and having served on committees within other
universities during my education), and numerous philanthropic efforts. My intention here is to further leverage that
diversity of experience and leadership to achieve the common good for our University community at Rutgers,
through the work of the Senate’s Executive Committee. I know the work and commitment that we undertake
embody a vital contribution to the Rutgers community.
I believe and hope that you find that my record of commitment, work, and achievement, along with the unique
balance of the experience and fresh perspectives which I bring, will continue to be of value to the Senate’s
Executive Committee. At this time, I ask for your support to serve again next year. If elected, you have my
commitment to serve dutifully, always mindful of our joint responsibilities, through the shared governance of the
Senate, to achieve goals in the best interest of Rutgers University and the community we proudly serve. Thank you.
Samuel Rabinowitz (Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors): It has been an honor and a privilege to
have served a number of roles through the University Senate over the last two decades, most recently as a Faculty
Representative to the Board of Governors, and previously to the Board of Trustees and prior to that as Senate Chair.
I have had the opportunity through these experiences to meet and work with many esteemed colleagues within the
Senate, around all campuses, and on the Boards of Rutgers University. I wish to continue my contribution by serving
as a Faculty Representative to the Board of Governors. It is important to have representation on the various Board
committees and I believe that I have been and would continue to be a positive and effective voice in this regard. The
many bonds that I have built with members of the Rutgers community will aid me in being effective in this role.
This has never been more important than this past year given the takeover/merger discussion involving the Camden
campus. Thanks for giving me a moment of your busy day (and hopefully your vote as well)!
Daniel Rosario (Student Representative to the Board of Governors): My Name is Daniel Rosario, a student
University Senator of Rutgers Newark and Executive Student Senator. I have served on the University Senate since
the first days after I turned eighteen. Since then, I have had a successful track record of being proactive and an
effective liaison between my campus and the University Senate. I am not interested in providing you with a text
book answer regarding why I seek to earn your vote for me to serve as the student representative on the Rutgers
University Board of Governors, nor am I interested in making promises others have not kept in the past.
My reputation as a student and a senator is built on hard work and dedication to what our University stands for in
and out of the classroom. Whether it has been maintaining a great attendance record to senate meetings, to serving as
director of various organizations on my campus, and to representing our University in Washington DC on Rutgers
Federal Advocacy Day in the offices of our United States Senators and Congressmen. I have delivered the most
professional performance.
As a student I am affected by the same issues that my classmates face in Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick. I
too am affected by the student debt crisis, financial aid reform, scheduling, full time teachers and PTL's sentiments
when teaching us, and accessibility to the education we provide. Since I've served on the University Senate, I've
fervently advocated for the betterment of our conditions directly to President McCormick's administration and the
committees I've served on. We all have a stake in the future of our university, and I am committed to leaving a
positive impact as the student representative for the Board of Governors.
As a first generation college student, I am truly thankful for the resources that Rutgers has provided me with. As the
student representative on the Board of Governors it will be my main priority to ensure that this tradition continues
while responsibly and effectively representing the University Senate.
Thank you, and I hope I can count on your vote.
Pavel Sokolov (New Brunswick Student Member of the Executive Committee): I feel I am qualified for this
position due to my extensive experience in various administration functions throughout Rutgers. I have served on
the Rutgers University Student Assembly for two years, one of which I have chaired the Internal Affairs Committee.
At the same time in my capacity as the Business School Senator, I have served this past year on the Rutgers
Business Governing Association, dealing with localized issues pertaining to Business Students. Through, RBGA I
was internally elected to represent the Business School in the Student fee advisory committee, giving me the
opportunity to work with representatives from all Rutgers Units.
Menahem Spiegel (Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees): I am honored to be considered as a faculty
representative to Rutgers' Board of Trustees. I have been a University Senator for seven years, and have also chaired
the Senate's Budget and Finance Committee for the past six years. In those capacities, I have enjoyed exploring
some very interesting issues of fundamental importance to the ways Rutgers operates, and have also had the
opportunity to discuss and hear viewpoints from faculty and others from all areas represented in the Senate. I believe
those experiences, and my 14 years as a faculty member in the Rutgers Business School - Newark and New
Brunswick, coupled with my professional background and personal interests, would make me a capable member of
the Board of Trustees. I hope you will agree, and I ask for your votes. Thank you.
Karen Thompson (Part-Time Lecturer/Annual Appointee Faculty Member of the Executive Committee): After 33
years teaching as a PTL at RU, 23 of which were spent officially representing PTLs within the AAUP, I have
developed the detailed background and the thick skin needed to advocate for this constituency. The overuse and
abuse of contingent faculty continues to be a key issue in addressing quality education concerns, in re-emphasizing
teaching along side research and in seeking equitable economic priorities. I would like the opportunity to continue
working with students, administrators, full-time faculty and staff colleagues in pursuing the best for all at Rutgers.
Vetri Velan (Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees): My name is Vetri Velan, and I am
thrilled to be running for Undergraduate representative to the Board of Trustees. For the past year, I have been
heavily involved in the Engineering Governing Council, and through this experience, I have learned how to relay
information between various groups, particularly between students and administration. Moreover, I stepped up to be
the Engineering Governing Council's representative to the Student Fee Advisory Committee, in which I have
worked to ensure that student fees are being well-allocated. When the committee's recommendation is sent to the
Board of Governors, they will take it into consideration as they decide on the level of the fee for the 2012-13 year.
Overall, I believe that my communication skills and leadership experience make me an excellent candidate for
Board of Trustees representative. If I am elected into the position, I will make sure that the voices of Rutgers
students are heard, and will work to solve the issues that the students want fixed. Also, I will relay information
between the Board of Trustees and Senate, so that both organizations can learn from each other's input and make
better decisions that benefit more students.
Katherine Yabut (Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees): Hello! My name is Katherine
Yabut, and I am a senator representing the Douglass Campus at New Brunswick. I am also the current
Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees. I was elected last week again to serve on the
University Senate as an SAS Senator At-Large, and would like to nominate myself again for the BOT position for
the 2012 -2013 school year.
I have been very vocal and active in the University Senate and especially during committee meetings, doing my best
to attend every single on that did not have a class or other organizational conflict. I have also attended every
schedule Board of Trustees meeting, participating particularly in discourses involving the Rutgers - Rowan takeover.
A few trustees have also brought a number of concerns to my attention, which I will hopefully try to pursue as
charges in the Senate during the 2012 - 2013 school year. I would like to be nominated again to serve as the
Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board of Trustees to continue to build the rapport I have established
with Trustees and use that relationship to better frame undergraduate student input and decisions in the University
Senate as a whole.